Montana LLC or Delaware LLC?
If you run your business in Montana, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Montana, forming in Delaware costs about $2,145 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Delaware.
Form in Montana
Montana
Articles of Organization$35
Annual Report$0
Year one$35
Each year after$0
5-year total$35
Form in Delaware, register in Montana
Delaware
Certificate of Formation$110
Annual LLC tax payment (no separate report)$0
LLC annual tax$400 / yr
Montana (foreign registration)
Certificate of Authority (Foreign LLC)$70
Annual Report$0
Year one$580
Each year after$400
5-year total$2,180
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Delaware while operating in Montana means two sets of reports and two sets of deadlines, adding about $400 a year.
- You need a registered agent with a street address in Delaware. If you don't have one there, that's a paid service every year.
- Out-of-state formation makes the most sense when you raise outside investment, operate in many states, or have a specific legal reason — not as a default.
State fees only, from each state's official fee pages. Not legal or tax advice.